Chapter 103: Repaying Debts
It seemed that the person lying in that hospital bed truly mattered. Yunice lowered the binoculars and said calmly, “We’ve lost them. Let’s head back.” It was true. Gill had already slowed the car, having long since lost sight of their target.
On the drive back, Gill wore a troubled expression. Yunice comforted her lightly, “Don’t worry. My marriage to Wyatt is just for show. Whatever he does outside has nothing to do with me.” But Gill only sighed again and again without speaking.
After all, with Wyatt’s style, even if he had other women, what could Yunice do? She would have to swallow the bitterness herself. But Yunice didn’t care in the slightest. In fact, she wished he would find another woman. That way, she wouldn’t have to deal with him herself.
Back at the hospital, Yunice buried herself in her studies. Now that she had her ID card, all she wanted was to take the national college entrance exam this year and further her education.
Meanwhile, in the very same hospital, Owen had slept a full day before finally waking up. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the thick bandages wrapped around his hands. His palms were numb with pain, the swelling making even the slightest movement impossible. He let his hands fall back down and turned his gaze to the figure asleep beside his bed.
For a second, Owen’s vision blurred. He thought he saw Yunice lift her head, smiling brightly at him. “Owen, you’re awake?” But that gentle, imagined voice was quickly replaced by reality. The face in front of him gradually sharpened into Elsie’s tearful one.
She sat up, sobbing. “Owen, you’ve been unconscious for so long. I was so worried about you!”
“So it’s Elsie,” Owen’s voice was tinged with disappointment. His eyes swept around the room, searching for any sign of Yunice. I had been injured and unconscious; surely she wouldn’t have ignored me completely, right?
Elsie clutched his hand, crying pitifully, “Owen, how could Yunice be so heartless to you? The doctor said your injuries are very serious. You must stay in bed or risk permanent damage.”
Owen slowly realized that Yunice really hadn’t come to see him. His heart sank. “She resents me… she hates that I locked her up in that asylum.” Covering his chest with his good hand, he choked back his emotions. “I never knew she suffered so much. If I had known, I would have brought her home long ago… Elsie, do you think I’ve done wrong?”
Elsie clenched her fists tightly. “I—Owen, an idiot! After all Yunice had done to him, he still pitied her!”
“Look at her now, running around like nothing happened. But you? You’ve been unconscious for an entire day,” she continued, fanning the flames.
Hearing this, Owen opened his eyes and looked at Elsie with gratitude. Anxiously, he asked, “So… does this mean my debt to Yunice is repaid?”
Elsie smiled gently. “Owen, what are you saying? There’s no debt between siblings. If I were Yunice, I would far rather blame you. You’re the best brother in the world.”
Owen beamed, reaching out to pat Elsie’s head. “Elsie is the sweetest.” But as he moved, a sharp hiss escaped his lips. The pain in his hand flared up from the strain.
Elsie immediately held his hand carefully, her face full of worry. “Owen, I forgot to tell you. Your tendons were injured. The doctor said you might never be able to hold a scalpel again.”
Owen’s mind went blank. Elsie’s eyes filled with tears. “If Yunice had stopped you earlier, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt at all. Now that you’ve injured your hand… does this mean your surgical career ends here?”
Owen could not utter a single word. After a long while, he leaned back against the bed like a man resigned to fate, his eyes hollow. “Forget it… I’ll consider this hand my repayment for those three years I owed Yunice.”
Elsie was practically fuming. She truly did not understand what Owen was moved about. People like him were the worst! Not truly good, not thoroughly bad. They were caught somewhere in between, making everyone around them miserable.
Owen sat there in silence for a long time. His mind replayed Yunice’s angry words and how she accused him of taking back all his kindness. But even if one could take back a gift, could I take back my heart so easily! If why couldn’t Yunice understand me? Why did she never see my sincerity?
Suppressing the bitterness in his throat, Owen thought to himself: As an older brother, I will not hold a grudge against my little sister. Even if Yunice’s heart was as cold as iron, I’ll find a way to warm it.
“Elsie, do me a favor.” Yunice was upset because he had given her gift to Elsie. That was easy enough. He would just make her another one.